When I'm finally discharged from the hospital with a few stitches and instructions to rest, I get to go back home. I feel better than ever, my head doesn't hurt at all. I haven't stopped smiling since I stepped through the front door. Callie makes the pasta that I like for dinner. Just as I finish up, the doorbell rings.
"I'll get it." I hop up and go to the front door, standing there is Taylor with a bouquet of daisies, sunflowers, and eucalyptus sprigs.
"Hi," She smiles in that cute way she always does. "I heard you like daisies." She hands them to me; I pull her inside and hug her. I didn't realize just how much I missed her until now. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, it was a mild concussion." I take her hand. "Come on, let's go upstairs."
"Doors open please!" Mom shouts from the kitchen.
"Sorry about that." We sit down on my bed. "They're protective, I love it." I smile.
"So," She says as she crosses her legs.
"So, I think we should talk." I lay the flowers down on my nightstand.
"Oh no, you don't like daisies?" She gets all flustered.
"No, it's not that I-"
"You don't like me?" She goes quiet.
"No, I mean yes I do like you, that's what I wanted to talk about. I was just worried that it was too risky getting into this right now, there's so much going on." She looks down at her hands and sighs. "But I was wrong." I take her hand. "I like spending time with you, and I want us to keep doing that, but I want to take it slow."
"Oh, right okay. I thought you were going to break up with me, which would be weird because we're not officially dating, we haven't even been on a date and... now I'm rambling, sorry." She laughs nervously.
"It's okay." I hold her other hand. "I want us to go on a date but there's so much going on, so let's just say we'll keep hanging out like this and save our first official date for when everything's a little less hectic."
"Okay, yeah that sounds good." She smiles again, and the way she looks at me reassures me that I'm safe again. I can trust her.
"And when we do hang out, we can still do this." I kiss her. "That good with you?"
"It's great with me." She kisses me back. We're going to be just fine.
After Taylor leaves, I go back downstairs, and the other kids have just finished cleaning up, they all go upstairs.
"Oh, has Taylor gone love?" Mom asks.
"Yeah, um." I sit down with them. "So, I've been thinking a lot about what Greg was saying, and I was talking to the others. Would it be okay if he came over for dinner one night? With just the three of us? I think if we all get to know him better and make an effort, he'll see that I'm right where I belong."
"I think that sounds fine, love," Mom says.
"Are you sure? He hasn't exactly been pleasant," Mama adds.
"I know, but neither have I," I admit. "Neither of us have given each other a real chance to explain ourselves."
"If that's what you want, I guess we can work something out." Mom clears the table.
"What I want is for him to be out of my life, but right now it's not an option so I have to compromise."
"That's very mature Gracie. We'll call and ask him over tomorrow. You go upstairs and get some schoolwork done. If you get your last two assignments done by the end of the week, you'll be done with summer school," Lena says.
"I thought I had more than that?" I'm confused, I thought I had like five more classes to finish with, especially because I missed some classes when I was in the hospital.
"I've kept up to date with your teachers and they all agree that you've improved a lot, you can finish your other assignments in your own time and turn them in at the start of next semester."
This is perfect, I'm so close to having the assignments done anyway. I can hand one of them in tomorrow and the other one on Tuesday and everything will be over with. Maybe I'm doing better than even the teachers thought. With a strong cup of coffee and the right mindset, I finish the first assignment and I only have a little more to do on the second one. While I'm still hyped from the coffee, I run into moms' room to tell them, they gush with pride. It feels so good to be appreciated for my hard work. In every other home I've stayed in, if I told someone I finished an essay or an assignment or got a good grade on a test, I would be belittled or brushed off. Yet another reason that I love this family, they support me, and I know they always will no matter what. Before I go to bed, I decide to call Sophia. I have to fix this, she's the last piece of the puzzle. She picks up straight away.
"Gracie, I'm so sorry for what I said, it was out of line and cruel and not true at all, I didn't mean any of it!"
"Sophia, calm down, I'm not mad. I get it."
"You do?" I hear her sigh.
"Yeah, you were hurting because I wasn't there for you, I wasn't being a good friend. I'm sorry."
"Are you kidding? I'm the one who's been a bad friend. All I talk about is going on vacation or whatever I'm doing. I'm truly sorry."
"I forgive you, you're my best friend."
"I love you G."
Now all that's left to do is sort things out with Greg and I can finally get the life I've always dreamed of, it's so close.
